There Are 4 Types of Clutter (And You're Probably Only Tackling One)
Wed Feb 04 2026
📚 PRE-ORDER MY NEW BOOK
Making Home Your Happy Place: The Real-Life Guide to Decluttering Without the Overwhelm releases February 17th.
Pre-order now to receive exclusive bonus goodies — simple, supportive tools you can start using right away.
👉 Pre-Order wherever books are sold
🎯 TAKE THE FREE DECLUTTERING STYLE QUIZ
Discover your personal Decluttering Style and get a clear, realistic starting plan that actually fits your life.
👉 Take the free quiz
If Decluttering Feels Like "One Step Forward, 18 Steps Back," You're Probably Only Tackling One Type of Clutter Have you ever decluttered, felt AMAZING… and then somehow your home felt just as heavy again two days later?
Like you're doing the work, making progress, trying to find the "right system"… but it keeps turning into that exhausting cycle of forward → back → forward → back.
In this episode, I'm sharing the two shifts that completely changed my personal trajectory with decluttering—and finally gave me the progress I craved (and deserved).
The first is this: most of us only declutter the easy stuff. The obvious "donation bin" items. The broken things. The trash. The surface-level clutter.
And that's a great start… but it's only the bar in the squat rack.
Because if you never add weight, your home won't transform.
That's why we're diving into the four types of clutter—and what each one actually needs from you to move through it without shame, burnout, or that "what's wrong with me?" feeling.
If you're ready to understand why decluttering gets hard (and what to do when it does), this episode will unlock so much.
KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE: 1) Most people only declutter superficial clutter—and that's why progress doesn't stick Superficial clutter is the easy, obvious stuff: trash, expired pantry items, broken things, extras you don't need, stuff you forgot you even owned.
It's an important starting point (hello, momentum!)… but if you stop there, you'll always feel like you're spinning your wheels because you never touch what's really weighing you down.
2) Decluttering is a life skill—you have to "add weight" to get transformation Think of superficial clutter like squatting just the bar. Great for maintenance… but it won't change your home long-term.
Real transformation happens when you build the skill to move through the deeper layers:
Scarcity clutter (fear + "just in case")
Sentimental clutter (memories + guilt + meaning)
Identity clutter (past self + future self + "who I thought I'd be")
When you learn how to handle all four, you stop yo-yo'ing and start getting real traction.
3) Each clutter type needs a different approach—so stop using one tool for every problem This is the game-changer. If you keep trying to use "quick decisions + donation bin" for everything, you'll hit a wall.
Superficial clutter needs action + quick wins
Scarcity clutter needs you to address the fear underneath
Sentimental clutter needs time + gentleness (without guilt)
Identity clutter needs you to reconnect with who you are right now
When you match the right strategy to the right clutter type, you stop blaming yourself and start moving forward… fast.
Ready to Simplify Even More? Start Here: 🗞️ Join the Ready, Set, Simplify Newsletter
Over 35,000 women read it weekly for clutter-busting tips, tiny mindset shifts, and practical steps to simplify your home and your life.
👉 https://www.katyjoywells.com/simplify
🧡 Loved this episode?
Join me inside the Clutter Cure Club — where we take conversations like this even deeper, and I help you simplify everything.
👉 https://www.katyjoywells.com/cluttercureclub-page837548
📲 Come Say Hi on Instagram
Behind-the-scenes, real-life simplicity, and lots of laughs.
💛 @katyjoywells
SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW
If this episode helped you, I'd be so grateful if you'd take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts.
Your support helps this show reach more women who need a simpler way forward. 💛
More
📚 PRE-ORDER MY NEW BOOK Making Home Your Happy Place: The Real-Life Guide to Decluttering Without the Overwhelm releases February 17th. Pre-order now to receive exclusive bonus goodies — simple, supportive tools you can start using right away. 👉 Pre-Order wherever books are sold 🎯 TAKE THE FREE DECLUTTERING STYLE QUIZ Discover your personal Decluttering Style and get a clear, realistic starting plan that actually fits your life. 👉 Take the free quiz If Decluttering Feels Like "One Step Forward, 18 Steps Back," You're Probably Only Tackling One Type of Clutter Have you ever decluttered, felt AMAZING… and then somehow your home felt just as heavy again two days later? Like you're doing the work, making progress, trying to find the "right system"… but it keeps turning into that exhausting cycle of forward → back → forward → back. In this episode, I'm sharing the two shifts that completely changed my personal trajectory with decluttering—and finally gave me the progress I craved (and deserved). The first is this: most of us only declutter the easy stuff. The obvious "donation bin" items. The broken things. The trash. The surface-level clutter. And that's a great start… but it's only the bar in the squat rack. Because if you never add weight, your home won't transform. That's why we're diving into the four types of clutter—and what each one actually needs from you to move through it without shame, burnout, or that "what's wrong with me?" feeling. If you're ready to understand why decluttering gets hard (and what to do when it does), this episode will unlock so much. KEY TAKEAWAYS FROM THIS EPISODE: 1) Most people only declutter superficial clutter—and that's why progress doesn't stick Superficial clutter is the easy, obvious stuff: trash, expired pantry items, broken things, extras you don't need, stuff you forgot you even owned. It's an important starting point (hello, momentum!)… but if you stop there, you'll always feel like you're spinning your wheels because you never touch what's really weighing you down. 2) Decluttering is a life skill—you have to "add weight" to get transformation Think of superficial clutter like squatting just the bar. Great for maintenance… but it won't change your home long-term. Real transformation happens when you build the skill to move through the deeper layers: Scarcity clutter (fear + "just in case") Sentimental clutter (memories + guilt + meaning) Identity clutter (past self + future self + "who I thought I'd be") When you learn how to handle all four, you stop yo-yo'ing and start getting real traction. 3) Each clutter type needs a different approach—so stop using one tool for every problem This is the game-changer. If you keep trying to use "quick decisions + donation bin" for everything, you'll hit a wall. Superficial clutter needs action + quick wins Scarcity clutter needs you to address the fear underneath Sentimental clutter needs time + gentleness (without guilt) Identity clutter needs you to reconnect with who you are right now When you match the right strategy to the right clutter type, you stop blaming yourself and start moving forward… fast. Ready to Simplify Even More? Start Here: 🗞️ Join the Ready, Set, Simplify Newsletter Over 35,000 women read it weekly for clutter-busting tips, tiny mindset shifts, and practical steps to simplify your home and your life. 👉 https://www.katyjoywells.com/simplify 🧡 Loved this episode? Join me inside the Clutter Cure Club — where we take conversations like this even deeper, and I help you simplify everything. 👉 https://www.katyjoywells.com/cluttercureclub-page837548 📲 Come Say Hi on Instagram Behind-the-scenes, real-life simplicity, and lots of laughs. 💛 @katyjoywells SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW If this episode helped you, I'd be so grateful if you'd take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your support helps this show reach more women who need a simpler way forward. 💛